Messaging will become more and more personalised. Our ability to target consumers in segments of tens or hundreds of thousands, right down to the individual, has been something marketers have long talked about. But the right technology hasn't been available. Now, storing data is cheap, and “decisioning” technology is allowing brands to personalise their messaging, and choose the most appropriate channel to send that message, in real-time.

THE END OF CONSUMER APATHY WITH ADVERTISING - Alex Altman, managing director of MEC Global Solutions.

In 2016, the industry will fight hard to end consumer apathy with advertising. Attention kills this apathy and it is fast emerging as the most valuable marketing currency. Content – that buzzword we hear so frequently and which is used to mean so many different things – can be our attention-seeking saviour. Advertising interrupts, content asks permission. The most overlooked rule to success is that sharing content is primarily a way of making a personal statement – “I am clever”, “I am connected”, “I am funny”. We should understand, embrace, and create accordingly.

MEDIA AGENCIES TO BEEF UP THEIR CONTENT AND PRODUCTION - Paul Frampton, group managing director at Havas Media Group.

Expect to see media agencies evolve their content and production capabilities further. Smart use of data will inform not just the distribution, but also physical creation and engagement strategy. We will see more brands working with professional content houses and individual talent, commissioning both short and long-form content formats. More brands will work with social influencers to master content creation for the millennial Snapchat generation.

POTENTIAL OF FIRST AND THIRD-PARTY DATA WILL BE REALISED - James Bott, director of global business development at M&C Saatchi Mobile.

2016 will be the most data driven year yet for mobile marketing. With the explosion and adoption of Data Management Platforms across both blue-chips and startups alike, there has never been more opportunity for businesses to utilise first and third-party data for marketing purposes. True one-to-one marketing via the use of dynamic creative and programmatic technology will see more relevant ads for consumers and better targeting for advertisers.

One David vs Goliath battle we will be closely watching this year is between Facebook’s advertising technology (Atlas) and that of Google (Doubleclick). This might not be on the sexy, creative side of advertising, but it is extremely important because advertising technology measures the effectiveness and efficiencies of investment into digital advertising. With Facebook’s large proprietary audience, we will see how well it can unlock this to both its own and its clients’ advantage, and how its competitor, Google, responds.

City A.M.'s opinion pages are a place for thought-provoking views and debate. These views are not necessarily shared by City A.M.